Setting the Record Straight on Playground Bullies

To set the record straight, I do not believe all playground bullies become right-wing Republicans when they grow up, nor do I think all right-wing Republicans were playground bullies when they were young. Nor, for that matter, am I at all convinced that left-wing Democrats are innocent of bullying, either as adults or when they were children.

I feel compelled to say all this because of a short interview I gave to Deborah Solomon of the New York Times Magazine, which was published last weekend. In it, I mentioned that I had been bullied when I was a youngster, mainly because I was very short. She then asked me "what do you think playground bullies grow up to be?" With my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, I answered "Right-wing Republicans."

For the last few days my email has been inundated with angry messages from self-defined right-wing Republicans, taking umbrage at my remark. Apparently they did not see the humor in it. A majority of the emails have been civil, but a large minority have been, well, how shall I put it? Filled with the sort of epithets and threats I last heard on the playground.